A Plain old nuts and bolts case that yielded strong evidence of the existence of UFOs as real physical objects occurred in Tehran, Iran, on the night of September 18, 1976, back when the Shah was still alive and in power. It was a case that a Pentagon military intelligence analyst called a "classic that meets all the criteria necessary for a valid study of the UFO phenomenon."

In an hours-long drama, first one Imperial Iranian Air Force F-4 Phantom jet fighter and then a second one chased a UFO across the Iranian skies at up to twice the speed of sound.

At least one of the pilots tried to fire a missile at the UFO but the UFO was somehow able to jam not only his weapons control system but his navigational and communications systems as well. It also was able to neutralize the navigational and communications systems of the second jet and an airliner that was passing through the area. At one time, the UFO even sent out a smaller object to chase one of the jets back to Tehran before breaking off and returning to the mother ship. The incident began about ten thirty in the evening when Hossain Pirouzi was on duty at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport with three air controller trainees. Pirouzi, thirty-five, was then night shift supervisor at the air traffic control tower.

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"A lady telephoned and said, 'I see a strange object, like a sun in the sky, about a thousand meters above me,” said Pirouzi. "She said the colors changed from blue to orange to red to yellow. I told her we didn't have any aircraft in that area. Our radar was not working. It was out of operation for maintenance, so we had nothing on radar either. SEES OBJECT THROUGH BINOCULARS "I did nothing about it then because I was busy with over-flying aircraft and, frankly, I thought she was seeing a star. About ten minutes later another lady called from the same general area of northeast Tehran and said, 'I was walking on the roof of my house with my child and I suddenly saw, and I am still seeing now, a strange object, lighting up and changing direction and sometimes dividing in two and joining together again.‟ “I began to wonder what was happening. I had three trainees on duty with me and asked them if they could see anything. They couldn't. "Then came a third call, this time from a man living in the northeast area, and he said, 'I'm sure I‟m seeing an object that is not an aircraft, what is it?' It was now after eleven and I was busy for the next ten minutes with traffic. Then one of the trainees took another phone call, which was like the others.

"I went out onto the terrace with my binoculars and after about five minutes I saw the object in the northeast part of Tehran. It was a rectangular shape about five miles away at a height of about six thousand feet. The right end was blue, the left end was blue and in the middle was a flashing red light. The object was seesawing up and down and moving towards the north very, very slowly.

"Suddenly, it appeared to disappear and then suddenly re-appear a mile further on just seconds later. I could see it this time as bright as the sun. It was all yellow, like a star, but much bigger. Then it appeared to me to be like a starfish. I can't be sure of the colors but there were blue, orange, red and yellow lights. I gave the binoculars to one of the others on duty and he said he saw the object as a half-circle in the same colors.

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He said he could see the object himself at six thousand feet. "Then a Swissair.‟ He described the object as rectangular shaped. 'Yes. I can‟t catch him. although around this time several aircraft were due to cross into our flight information region." said Pirouzi. “The first report in was a BOAC airliner. The pilot radioed. 'My navigational aids are not working. 'Yes. "I told him to return to Tehran and he headed back. “This was about ten minutes flight time away. At this time the object was at about fifteen thousand feet.12 megacycles. the object suddenly appeared over Tehran again. to scramble. a Lufthansa and an Iran Airlines plane all reported hearing the emergency signal. 'Yes. I can see something.‟ So he ordered one of the Phantom jets on standby at Hamadon.EMERGENCY SIGNALS HEARD "We had no aircraft expected to land. I can see it – are you sure it‟s not an aircraft?' I told him to get close and describe its shape but to do no more. When he was about a hundred and fifty miles away and still coming back.' "By now the pilot was about fourteen miles away from the tower and he reported that every time he came close to the object it affected his radio and all his instruments. They started to report by radio that they could hear emergency signals coming from an automatic aircraft distress transmitter.m. 'I see the object ahead of me. I decided to report the whole thing to the air force base because by now I was getting really worried. and came under my control. I told him to go higher and he said. 'What was that emergency call?' “I told him that four other planes had already heard the emergency call and he said. The air force officer on duty phoned Brigadier General Abdullah Yousefi. It isn‟t a star. 'Do you have a crashed aircraft in your area? We are receiving an automatic signal on 121.' We said we had no crashed aircraft or missing ones in our area nor had any made a forced landing. PILOT DESCRIBES OBJECT "I was getting instructions from General Yousefi and passing them on to the pilot by radio. One took off and arrived over Tehran at one a.' But every time he got close to the object his navigation aids went out and his radio went dead but his engines were working normally and
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. two hundred miles away. I am getting some emergency signals now. the senior officer in charge that night." At twelve thirty in the morning Pirouzi phoned the local air force headquarters and reported what was going on. „I‟m going Mach Two and I'm fifty miles behind the object. It had beaten him back and was now ahead of the Phantom jet fighter. “A few minutes later he reported passing the speed of Mach Two and radioed.' he radioed and asked. It's no use to follow any more. also known as Shahrokhi air base. "The general himself called me. The pilot reported he was over Tehran and I gave him radio instructions. “He went out onto the porch of his house and said to me on the telephone. who called and said. the same shape as before.

At that point the object was about fifteen miles from me at about twelve thousand feet. I can see his position but cannot follow his track. One time as he was talking to me. 'Yes I can. said. What can I do?' "General Yousefi ordered him to remain over Tehran. 'You go back to the base.' We could all see the object with the naked eye. At this time the object was below him. his radio went dead. who was still a hundred miles away. "Then the second pilot reported. he lost all of his electronic equipment. "By now a second jet had been scrambled by the air force and the pilot called the other on the radio and said. I cannot follow the path of the object. ' The first pilot asked. suddenly he appears there and I can‟t track him. SECOND PILOT TAKES OVER "Later I ordered him to close again and when he came within twenty miles of the object. Finally he said he would have to return to base because his fuel was running low. He appears here. „I can see his lights. 'I've lost all my navigational aids. I cannot get near the object because I've lost every aid I had. 'Can you see the object?' and the second pilot.
"The pilot decided to come back to land but when the object was about ten miles away he radioed.the lights on his instrument panel were working. I'll follow the object. The general could hear all our radio conversations and I was passing on his orders.' "The second plane then got within twenty-five to thirty miles of the object and the pilot suddenly reported. He keeps changing his position very fast. 'It has divided in two and an illuminated object has separated and is following me! It keeps coming towards me!‟
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. circling at fifteen thousand feet.

McKenzie. the air traffic controller. a freelance journalist then living in Tehran."He swung his jet around in a tight turn and the light followed him. 'OH! The illuminated object has separated again and is going toward the ground. The military was releasing no details of the incident and Pirouzi. He reported that every time he got close his navigation and all his electronic systems went crazy. and as they swept over the tower in Tehran the object that was chasing him was by now five hundred feet above and just behind him. The backseater acquired a radar lock on at 27 NM (nautical miles). ‘TOO DANGEROUS’ TO GO CLOSER “Then the pilot reported that the light had gone back and rejoined the main object. "Then he radioed. The pilot radioed that the object had settled on the ground southeast of Tehran near a place called Rey and he said. 'The main object is orbiting slowly over the illuminated object on the ground and it is so bright I can see stones on the ground. I saw the light for the first time. Can you see him?' "I couldn‟t because we weren't high enough. "The size of the radar return was comparable to that of a 707 tanker.‟” The UFO finally disappeared shortly after four in the morning. 'Now they have joined together. Now he is settling on the ground.m. was the only one who would talk about it at that time. It said in part:
"A second F-4 was launched at 1:40 a. It is like daytime. 12 o'clock high position with the rate of closure at 15 mph. and Vahe Petrossian. The visual size of the object was difficult to discern 6
.S. becoming smaller and smaller as it climbed ever higher until it was gone from sight. then a National Enquirer reporter based in London.
Additional interesting details were provided in a classified message sent to the Pentagon by Colonel Frank B. though only for a few seconds. the defense attaché at the U. That is only part of the story. as obtained by John Checkley. Embassy in Tehran. This was about fifteen miles away from the control tower and the pilot reported. As the range decreased to 25 NM the object moved away at a speed that was visible on the radarscope and stayed at 25 NM.' "The pilot said it was too dangerous to go any closer and he decided to come in and land.

There was a lot of interference on the UHF and each time they passed through a magnetic bearing of 150 degrees from Mehrabad they lost their communications (UHF and Interphone) and the INS fluctuated from 30 degrees to 50 degrees. The F-4 crew had regained communications and the weapons control panel and watched the object approach the ground. This second object headed straight toward the F-4 at a very fast rate. the second object went to the inside of his turn and then returned to the primary object for a perfect rejoin. green. "The crew then descended from their altitude of 26.000 to 15. The pilot attempted to fire an AIM-9 missile at the object but at that instant his weapons control panel went off and he lost all communications (UHF and interphone). The light that it gave off was that of flashing strobe lights arranged in a rectangular pattern and alternating blue. "Shortly after the second object joined up with the primary object. They had some difficulty in adjusting their night visibility for landing so after orbiting Mehrabad a few times they went out for a straight in landing.because of its intense brilliance. red and orange in color. The sequence of lights was so fast that all the colors could be seen at once. came out of the original object.000 and continued to observe and mark the object's position. The one civil airliner that was approaching Mehrabad during this time experienced communications failure in the same vicinity (Kilo Zulu) but did not report seeing anything. At this point the pilot initiated a turn and negative G dive to get away. As he continued his turn away from the primary object. estimated to be one half to one third the apparent size of the moon. As he turned the object fell in trail at what appeared to be about 3-4 NM. "The object and the pursuing F-4 continued a course to the south of Tehran when another brightly lighted object. another object appeared to come out of the other side of the primary object going straight down at a great rate of speed.000) with bright steady lights on each end and a flasher in the
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. This object appeared to come to rest gently on the earth and cast a very bright light over an area of about 2-3 kilometers. "While the F-4 was on a long final approach the crew noticed another cylinder shaped object (about the size of a T-bird at 10. anticipating a large explosion.

Long before the document (part of which is shown at left below) became available. The people talked about a loud noise and a very bright light like lightning. Lieutenant General Abdullah Azarbarzin confirmed some of the details. "During daylight the F-4 crew was taken out to the area in a helicopter where the object apparently had landed.middle. a civilian UFO organization that is now defunct.S. the tower stated there was no other known traffic in the area. Armed Forces High School in Berlin. When queried. They landed and asked the people within if they had noticed anything strange last night. an American who then taught mathematics at the U. At the point where the return was loudest was a small house with a garden. the tower did not have a visual on it but picked it up after the pilot told them to look between the mountains and the refinery. He spent much of his summer vacation in 1977 filing Freedom of Information requests and appeals and going from office to office in the Pentagon until his efforts paid off.
The document itself was finally declassified and released. largely through the persistent efforts of Charles Huffer. NICAP had obtained a copy of McKenzie's classified message from some still-unrevealed source inside the Pentagon. Nothing was noticed at the spot where they thought the object landed (a dry lake bed) but as they circled off to the west of the area they picked up a very noticeable beeper signal. During the time that the object passed over the F-4.
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.”
This latter information did not become available until nearly a year after the incident. although much of it was published in the November 1976 newsletter of the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena. At that time he was deputy commander in chief of operations for the Imperial Iranian Air Force.

who was then my editor."
GIVE INFORMATION TO U. "It was quite circled and just like a saucer and the shape of the cockpit was a half ball. shape and color of the UFO. I was to call him the next day but got assigned to something else late in the day and John Cathcart.S. phoned him instead. and the color of lighting inside the cockpit was different than what it had on the outside. One Phantom pilot got close enough to see the size. and he acknowledged that the incident had occurred and promised to give me more details later. It was then under the command of General Robert Secord. General Azarbarzin said that whenever the jets got within fifteen miles or so of the UFO it was somehow able to temporarily knock out most of the electronic systems aboard the planes. Air Force. Of course. We gave all the information to the U. He acknowledged that both jets had locked onto the object with their radars but had received very strong jamming.I phoned him on January 3. We have given all this information to our MAAG. if we have some information on UFOs we just exchange it and we did it. "That means the fire control. 'I have everything locked on but when I reached firing range the whole system went out. It was close to yellow.S.
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The first time it happened. we passed all the information on to the U. 1977. AIR FORCE Then he dropped a shocker. radio. adding: "Of course. we don't know yet." Asked to elaborate.S.
Some of the things Azarbarzin said were rather startling. that was the request from the U. I think they send it to the organization in the United States. “No. even the intercom between the two crew members. he explained the shape of the cockpit and the kind of lighting and all these things. General Azarbarzin said: "We have this procedure.
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. the pilot said." MAAG refers to the U.S. It was not like any vehicle we have up in the sky." He explained that "fire control" meant the missile and weapon control system but stoutly denied that either pilot was ever ordered to shoot at the UFO." General Azarbarzin told Cathcart." General Azarbarzin replied. Military Advisory and Assistance Group that was then posted in Tehran.‟” said the general.S. John Cathcart asked him if he had come up with any information as to what UFOs were. as had an airliner passing through the area at the time. "According to the report from one of the pilots who was almost crossing under the UFO. who later became one of the prominent figures in the Iran-Contra investigation. navaids.

And this is something you don't find in any other flying object." General Azarbarzin admitted the incident was "extremely strange and unexplainable. the National Security Agency. The documents were several messages between the U. "Very fast acceleration. and in Morocco an object described sometimes as a disc and sometimes as a cylinder was seen flying slowly over eight cities. We had no intention of destroying it. Portugal.‘NO DOUBT’ JET CREWS SAW A UFO "Why should we?" he asked. because it was a very wide band and this jammer could jam different bands.
PROBABLY A METEOR. Pretty fast. different frequencies. Stories on the Portugal case were published almost immediately. When the Pentagon finally declassified and released the Iran UFO message from Colonel McKenzie. I can say it is because what we found out – this technology they were using for jamming was something we haven't had before and we don't have it." The UFO could hover and then move at extremely high speeds. Government was no longer involved in studying UFOs and suggested that what the Moroccans had seen was probably a meteor or part of a decaying satellite. at the same time. KISSINGER SAYS The final message was a two-page reply from Secretary of State Henry Kissinger stating that the U. We wanted to get as close as we could. the Navy and
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. The Moroccans were so worried that they requested assistance from the United States in determining what the objects were. we learned that McKenzie had sent the message to the Defense Intelligence Agency. meaning three times the speed of sound. the crew of a 707 jetliner reported a near collision with a large." he said. "Would you do that in the United States? It was harmless. "We were estimated at Mach Three. but the Moroccan sightings did not become known generally in the United States until the State Department released documents under the Freedom of Information Act in June 1978. bluish object over Lisbon.S. the chiefs of the Air Force. For the first time. especially when going from zero speed to maybe Mach Three. but then later on we just wanted to get as close as we could to get more information. the White House. It was very unusual." On the same night." He said there was no doubt the Phantom crews saw a UFO. Embassy in Rabat and the State Department in Washington. he said. it made interesting reading even though most of the details of the encounter were already known. "We didn't know if it was a UFO in the beginning. the Secretary of State.S. It doesn't exist. No reason to shoot them. which had re-transmitted it to the Central Intelligence Agency.

in fact. If I had a real source that was giving me all this information I'd be hard pressed to tell you who it is but I don't have a one-source type of guy." I said he had an awful lot of details that weren't in the newspapers. certainly you investigated to some extent before you sent the message to the Pentagon to make sure your information was as accurate as possible?
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.” The partial report published by NICAP indicated he had talked to one of the Iranian pilots. No. various sources. "No. he wasn‟t familiar with it and added: "I sent it in because it was an unusual incident and not necessarily in relation to or in response to any requirement. per se. I didn't talk to anybody who did talk to him. but the only answer I got was that it is routine to send intelligence messages to these points. I got a lot of it from the newspapers. "Part of our job over here is reporting on unusual things and a UFO report is unusual regardless of whether you believe in them or not. "Yeah. oh. with the stress on the word "intelligence. I wanted to find out from him why the UFO message was sent and whether it was a common thing to send UFO messages to the Pentagon. NSA. I got my information from." he said. This thing had such big play in the papers over here that it was almost unreal. or the Joint Army. I asked McKenzie if he was familiar with JANAP 146 (E) and was this why he sent the UFO message to the Pentagon. I guess." With the name of the man who sent the message now known." REPORTS TO PENTAGON REQUIRED For many years. American and Canadian military forces operated under JANAP 146 (E). if you set all the newspapers down most of it is in there but some of the detail probably isn't." But. we talked to various people around town. he said." One portion of it requires reports to the Pentagon on any UFO incidents involving military installations. it's not necessarily common. disarming way. I phoned Colonel McKenzie in Tehran and reached him at his home. we read the newspapers. I can agree with that.the Army as well as to the commander in chief of our European forces and the commanders of several European bases. other attachés. It was really quite a topic of conversation for three or four days. Navy and Air Force Procedures for reporting "vital intelligence sightings. As a matter of fact. White House and all the others." I asked how he obtained the information for his report and he replied: "Well. "In fact. equipment or personnel and includes two and a half pages of specific details to check for on unidentified objects. but McKenzie said: "I didn't talk to the Iranian pilots." he replied in an easy-going. I said. I tried to find out from the Pentagon if it was routine to send UFO messages to the CIA.

Air Force colonels who sat in on the debriefing of First Lieutenant Jalal Damirian and Second Lieutenant Hossein Shokry." he replied.
A REVEALING ‘MEMO OF RECORD’ Colonel McKenzie had said he had no "one-man source" for his information and had no ties with MAAG. However.
It was a "Memorandum of Record. the crew of the second F-4 Phantom jet (similar to the one shown here) that went up that night.S. the Air Force eventually released another document on the Iran affair." written by Lieutenant Colonel Olin R. as Colonel Mooy's report written after the debriefing. word for word. Air Force executive officer for MAAG.S. Mooy.
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."Well. I guess I would do that with anything. It is interesting that Colonel McKenzie's classified message to the Pentagon on the UFO incident says exactly the same thing. He was one of two U. the U.

1976. He said he himself had gone up in a helicopter and had come within a mile of it when the helicopter's engine began malfunctioning and they returned to the ground. SHAH OF IRAN ALLEGEDLY INVOLVED The officer told “X” that all aircraft were kept away from the object because of intense heat it was giving out. After discussing a number of other things. “X” asked about UFO sightings in Iran that had been mentioned recently in the newspapers. and the Shah of Iran became personally involved. “X” was flying to Chicago on an airliner and fell into a conversation with the man in the next seat. He said no one could understand the language. Air Force base in Texas.
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. They were unsuccessful. which was described as conversational.S. “X” said the officer began talking about the September 18. A scientist that I will call “X” claimed to have heard some startling new information. who turned out to be a very high-ranking Iranian air force officer in civilian clothes. case and claimed that the UFO had hovered over the military air base next to Mehrabad for forty-eight hours and seemed to be communicating with the field on the air traffic control radio band. He was based temporarily at a U.In December 1977. He had a team of linguists flown in from another country to try to decipher the language. the Iran case took another strange twist. He said he and others aboard the helicopter suffered minor sunburn type burns.

we eventually managed to obtain a copy of the tape recordings made in the air traffic control tower that night. By that time. Then. To my knowledge. But we were much more interested in trying to confirm the report about the UFO's alleged attempt to communicate and the Shah's becoming personally involved.
TRIP TO TEHRAN POSTPONED TOO LONG In April 1978. In trying to confirm this report. saying I could talk with the men and asked me to advise him when I would be in Tehran. I wrote to him asking permission to talk to him about the incident. did say that a scientific group from Germany had quickly arrived on the scene. then a UFO researcher and one of the founders of Citizens Against UFO Secrecy (CAUS). But there was nothing in them of the nature described by “X”. We decided to abandon the idea. who was away in London on a special assignment. I wrote to General Azarbarzin. The man had supposedly returned to Iran for a brief visit but never returned to Texas. Bill Dick. OMNI magazine reported that when American astronauts visited Tehran he discussed the UFO incident with them. But none of the stories mentioned a UFO being in the sky for forty-eight hours. with my editor's approval. I was working for another editor. a new. After he went into exile and while he was living in Cuernavaca. he was there for more than two months and by the time he got back and I had time to go to Iran. but later attempts to locate him were unfruitful. however.“X” took down the man's name and Texas address. General Azarbarzin replied by letter.
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. He asked me to wait until he got back before going to Tehran. but the team was never identified nor was it learned what they were doing. their story had never been published and such a story would be highly interesting I was being truthful. it was such a dramatic event that we wanted to do a follow up with the officers personally involved. requesting permission to visit Tehran and interview the officers who were in the Phantom jets that night as well as any others involved in the case. Unfortunately. One story. I explained that even though we had published a story already. we probably will never know. I never received a reply. revealing document about the case came to light. to a point. Todd Zechel. reporting on other incidents as well as the one the night of September 18. Whether the Shah was ever involved. Late in 1978. He obtained a copy of a military intelligence analyst's evaluation report of the Iran incident as reported by Colonel McKenzie. I really did want to talk to the crewmembers. The Iranian newspapers had carried UFO stories for several days in a row. uncovered it. Mexico. the country was embroiled in the political unrest that led to the Shah's going into exile.

" In his evaluation of the Tehran case." said Major Evans. Mehrabad.” I asked him if he knew UFOs were also reported in Portugal and Morocco the same night as the Tehran case.e. and added: "Morocco is in North Africa. Evans. He didn't. "(d) Similar electromagnetic effects (EME) were reported by three separate aircraft. who was then stationed at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha.. Clifford J. he said.e. another branch. "(e) There were physiological effects in some crew members (i. “This was a classic case because everything that was bizarre about it was confirmed with real sources. Souther. "This (Iran incident) came through as a routine intelligence analysis. My chances of talking with those analysts were reasonably slim. then forty. Shemiran. who said this was the only UFO case he had evaluated in his four years with the DIA.Zechel informed me that the analyst was Air Force Major Roland B.” Major Evans. The DIA intelligence community is broken up by region.
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. and approved by a civilian superior." he told me. Major Evans stated:
"An outstanding report! This case is a classic which meets all the criteria necessary for a valid study of the UFO phenomenon:
"(a) The object was seen by multiple witnesses from different locations (i. and of course Lisbon would be in the western European branch. and the dry lake bed) and viewpoints (both) airborne and from the ground. I was in the Middle East region and I was an air defense expert. I was given this particular case because of my electronic warfare and air defense field. "(f) An inordinate amount of maneuverability was displayed by the UFOs. qualified aircrews and experienced tower operators) "(c) Visual sightings were confirmed by radar. Nebraska. filed October 12. I phoned Major Evans in January 1979. 1976. He was then re-assigned to Offut AFB in July 1978. loss of night vision due to the brightness of the object). "(b) The credibility of many of the witnesses was high (an air force general. Within each region we have some specialties. ‘AN OUTSTANDING REPORT!’ "I was an intelligence analyst.”
The UFO's ability to jam several systems simultaneously greatly impressed Major Evans. had served as a military capabilities analyst for the Defense Intelligence Agency in Washington for four years. "We don't have this capability to jam all these systems simultaneously. where he was serving as an electronic warfare officer flying in an RC-l35 reconnaissance aircraft with the 343rd Reconnaissance Squadron. I was given the report because my field is electronic warfare.

As far as its being extraterrestrial." said Major Evans. "The electromagnetic effects were very interesting to me as an electronic warfare officer. it does seem to be beyond the capabilities of any of the military systems that I'm aware of. or at least my impression of what the Air Force and the government used. and to cut off his communications. made them completely inoperable. the fact that this happened to three different aircraft – the two F-4s at two different times under the same circumstances and the fact that a commercial airliner just happened to be passing by that was also affected in the area where the F-4s were – indicated that this was not just peculiar to the two aircraft. and other aircraft just flying over and satellites." Major Evans replied. but in this case he didn't override the emissions. He didn't just foul them up. It was there. As an electronic warfare officer. The airliner was an innocent bystander that also received some of the same effects. He actually turned them off. too.” I asked what criteria he used to evaluate the case. "That is. "The criteria I used were the criteria the Air Force used. "It's rather frightening. by highly qualified people and they were confirmed by radar from three different points. as a matter of fact. it was not swamp gas or anything else. "Then. That's getting a little out of my field. Here we had a case where we had a visual sighting from three different locations. He made them completely useless. AIR FORCE CRITERIA USED IN EVALUATION "I was impressed that he (the UFO) did even more than jam the jets' systems. It was real. their criteria had always been that visual sightings were no good unless you confirm them by radar and vice versa. "To me." ‘TECHNOLOGY WOULD BE USEFUL’ Concerning some of the incredible capabilities demonstrated by the UFO. This
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. I don't know. He turned them off."We had several other messages that someone would attribute to UFOs. "I didn't pay much attention to them. and to be able to figure out when he's going to turn it on. three different angles. Jamming is sort of like a lot of static on your radio. I would love to go into combat with the capability of turning off my opponent's weapon system panel at will. they are not really valid. It's where we override their electronic emissions. and the fact that this thing was so highly maneuverable impressed me quite a bit. there were too many circumstances that fit in. but I felt this particular case was very interesting. Radar phenomena happen all the time and if you can't confirm them visually. Major Evans said: "Yes. the maneuverability sort of eliminates planets and fishing trawlers and such. There's just no other way to explain it. to discount most UFO information. "That's why I call it a classic. indicating this thing was no an aberration. And the electromagnetic effects.

We should definitely start playing catch up. There didn't appear to be any immediate threat. “My main thought at the time was that if this was a Soviet system. I've read of other cases of Air Force aircraft having similar problems and I'm sure that this was not an isolated report. "I'm assuming there were other reports similar to the one I analyzed. just the fact that there is something out there with capability far beyond ours. I just have that feeling.
"The technology would be useful. although I can't verify that." he said. we've got a lot of homework to do. "It has been a mystery to me as to why they weren‟t investigating the whole time. "I always thought it was puzzling that the whole investigation was dropped. but the prospects were rather frightening. I don't think this was an isolated classic report." he explained. Major Evans indicated that the value of the information contained in the report was "high" and "potentially useful" and was in the highest category of reliability. even though at the time it did not appear to be hostile. My first thought was not of anything extraterrestrial. especially if it was a Soviet system. That is definitely of high interest.” Major Evans said he did not understand why the government didn‟t continue its investigation of UFOs after the Air Force ended Project Bluebook in 1969." In his evaluation.electronic capability was very interesting to me.
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. and it was far more than any country I know of is capable of.

because this affects lives. To the naked eye it looked like a large star low in the sky but without the twinkle. The circular motion of the red light was not continuous. he went to look for himself. What is it? ” Following several more calls. There definitely was a very strange object there in the sky right over Tehran.000 meters (about 3.000 ft) above me. It's a mystery to me that we're not looking for these effects. using binoculars. They returned without seeing it. it paused for a fraction of a second. and saw the object after a few moments… “I was amazed. Tehran)
Drawing based on sketch and descriptions by Houssain Peruzi Perouzi began receiving reports of an object over the skies of Tehran and initially disregarded them due to the radar being repaired."UFOs notwithstanding.”
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."
Houssain Peruzi (Night controller at Mehrebad Airport. Every 90 degrees or so. flabbergasted. this one (red light) was not flashing. After 22:30. I didn’t know what to think. Perouzi asked his trainees to go outside and try to identify the light. It reminded me of the flashing light of an ambulance. it seems like these electromagnetic effects should be investigated. The first witness was a woman who described…
“…a strange object like a sun in the sky about 1. red and yellow. The colours change through orange.

but much bigger. I could see it this time as bright as a sun. red and yellow lights.“Suddenly it appeared at another position one mile further on. I can’t be sure of the order of the colours but there were blue.”
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. orange. Then it appeared to me to be like a starfish. It was all yellow. like a star.

There seemed to be a large green surface and then a smaller core which glowed like a piece of red hot coal.“The hub itself was made up of two concentric areas of colour.”
Perouzi was interviewed by the Tehran Journal for an article that appeared on June 22nd 1977:
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his curiosity was aroused and he went onto the balcony of the control tower with a pair of strong field glasses normally used by control tower officials to watch plane landings and take offs. They reported it to the tower and it was seen by the tower man too. Whenever they were close to me. citizens were frightened by the circling of an unknown object over Tehran. ‘Knowing that at that time no plane or helicopters were in the vicinity I reported the matter to Air Force authorities requesting them to investigate. which was flashing with intense red. two other women. Four other objects with different shapes separated from the main one. orange and blue light so bright that I was not able to see its body.“(Pirouzi) insisted that he had personally seen the unidentified flying object on Saturday night.’ Pirouzi added. I tried to launch a heat seeking missile to it.’ Pirouzi said. Pirouzi sad he trained the night glasses onto the UFO and was surprised to see that it did exist.
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At about 11 pm on the evening of 18 September. at a low altitude. Pirouzi said. my weapons were jammed and my radio communications were garbled. at a range of 25 miles. At the time I was Squadron commander. Pirouzi said he first received a call for a woman near Cinema Moulin Rouge on Old Shemiran Road who reported sighting of the UFO. green. 1976. He alerted the Air Force command post and Deputy General Yousefi decided to scramble an F-4 jet to investigate. they scrambled a second jet. He said there could be no doubt about it because he had personally seen the light. About 10 minutes later. so he headed back. like a strobe light. one from a house near Sayed Khanden and the other from one near the CRC Bowling Club made similar reports. but bigger and brighter. One of the objects headed toward me. The sequence of flashes was extremely fast. Another followed me when I was descending on the way back. In an interview with the Persian language Ettela’at newspaper. I thought it was a missile. and I am a retired General of Iranian Air Force. Shortly afterwards. which I was piloting. I did not pay much attention to this because we are accustomed (to) receiving such reports from people. ‘However. I approached the object. The control tower aide was emphatic that the UFA (sic) was brightly lit and was emitting blue and red lights.”
Statement by Parviz Jafari
(Made at the International Press Conference. It looked similar to a star. On receiving these three separate reports. it was at 30° left. The pilot in the first jet lost instrumentation and communications when he got too close to the brilliant object. at different times during this close encounter. The size on the radar scope was comparable to that of a 707 tanker. but my missile panel went out. We locked on it with radar. Washington DC November 12th 2007)
My name is Parviz Jafari.

and it was sent to NSA. We could hear emergency squash all the way.Q. a once-classified document was released here in America through the Freedom of information Act. an American colonel took notes." I would be happy to answer questions and tell you more. The DIA assessment said "this case is a classic that meets all necessary conditions for a legitimate study of the UFO phenomenon.
Jafari with Leslie Kean
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. in which the sands on the ground were visible. but after it was over I could not find him to talk with. During my interview at H. Later.One of the separated objects landed in an open area radiating a high bright light. after the incident. which was reported by other airliners flying at the time and continued for another couple of days. The White House and the CIA. The Defense Intelligence Agency documented the event in great detail.

Multi-Agency Teletype Report (September 19th 1976)
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USAF Documents
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DIA Reports (from NSA website)
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The 23 year old pilot told controllers that the UFO had doubled back on it pursuers and he was in danger of being forced down. The tape of Imperial Air Force Lt. The control tower told the pilot to return to base if he
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. The aircraft flew toward Tehran at over the speed of sound and the pilot contacted Mehrebad control after he had made contact with the UFO.‟ Although the pilot was flying at maximum speed he could not catch the UFO up (sic). orange and white light about three times as strong as moonlight.Tehran Journal (September 21st)
„The mystery of the „Unidentified Flying Object‟ which was chased by the Air Force on Saturday night deepened yesterday as the pilot‟s reports were released. on seeing him coming the UFO increased its speed. Jafari was piloting the first of two jet fighters which took off from Shahrokii Air Base in Hamadan to investigate the object. „It was half the size of the moon as seen from earth‟. He said. Jafari‟s reports to the control tower at Mehrebad airport was made available to Ettela‟at reporters yesterday. „It was radiating violet. he said.

leave the UFO. After all. The pilots made no attempt to open fire and at no time did the aircraft‟s electronic gear fail to function. Perhaps our UFO lost its way in the dark. It has just passed by. the pilot reported having seen the UFO and told the control tower that it had reduced speed. Not so. it did not switch around and chase the jets. Well. Nevertheless.‟
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. [Note: compare with Pirouzi‟s testimony above that the pilot said: “It‟s like daytime. missing me narrowly…‟ The disturbed voice of the pilot was clear on the tape. And. Investigations are continuing. A few seconds later the bright object rejoined the mother craft and it flew away at many times the speed of sound. the true facts as outlined by an official source yesterday still have the ring of science fiction about them. The newspaper reports also said that when the object came to within five kilometers of the jets.5meter. blue and green flashing lights as the newspaper reports said. The source said individuals telephoned Mehrebad Airport‟s control tower to report a bright light in the night sky. I think it is going to crash into me. Flying over Shahre Rey [south of Tehran].was not able to get near. in which he reported the different lights and the chase. And since everything on the plane is electronically operated. they have just opened a special airport in France for UFOs. most emphatically. all electrical appliances on the aircraft went out of action. left the official frankly puzzled.”] But the apparition soon disappeared and…that‟s it. After a moment’s silence he said he had seen a bright round object with a circumference of about 4. The pilot did not report seeing red.now five miles… It is level now. far be it from us to scoff at the UFO theory. said the source.’
Kayhan International (21st September)
„And now the REAL story about that „UFO‟. The pilot said that plane was working well and he was preparing to fire missiles at the UFO. But he agreed that there was no apparent explanation for what the pilot DID see. they lost radio contact with the ground and could not fire on the object as they intended. but a moment later radioed „something is coming at me from behind. said the official. The pilot agreed to do so. arguing that the reason none have landed on earth before is that there was nowhere for them to land. Two jets were scrambled to investigate and one of the pilots reported seeing an object with a light so bright it illuminated the ground below.‟ A reported verbatim conversation between pilot „J‟ and ground control. Unfortunately it‟s not quite as exciting as the tales we‟ve been hearing over the last day or two about the bright light „thing‟ that allegedly had the audacity to chase two jets of the Imperial Iranian Air Force across Tehran. It was at this time that a second plane was ordered to take off. He then asked to be guided back to base. It is 15 miles away…now 10 miles…. it‟s a little puzzling to figure out how the plane could possibly have kept in the air anyway. The official summed it all up by saying the reports which first appeared in the afternoon papers on Sunday were „exaggerated.